Migration of the African wildebeest has always been an unknown factor in the changes to the ecosystems of Serengeti- Mara African regions. Through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) the tracking the travel of herds can be used to prevent disaster and allows for faster response to react when they inevitably do happen. By mapping the general needs of the herbivores, water and food- such as short grasses, as well as paths with the least resistance and other herd territories, yearly migration patterns emerge with consideration to many factors including but not limited to: population explosions, drought, rain fall, climate change, and habitat degradation. Mapping also allows the tracking of many other effects of herd travel such as the turnover of nutrients, alterations of ecosystems- also effecting fauna and flora.
Before GIS much of the data was available but not able to be analyzed for use. Now in many places GIS is used as predictive models for the migration and habitat sustainability. These studies are able to mark the habitat locations and will allow prediction the migration routes taking in to account the vegetation and allowing the least amount of human-animal interaction.
The results of the tracking led to the knowledge of a migration pattern that follows the greener areas, the areas
that have the most water and therefore biomass for that time of year. First heading west then north along the edge of the park, moving further into the year, as predicted, the heard goes south, to avoid the rougher terrain while the females are pregnant. Also, allowing more access to sward grass which has more structural fiber. Then back up to their habit where most of the year is spent on the western border.
Article by:Douglas E. Musiega and Sanga-Ngoie Kazadi
I found this article very interesting. The ability to understand animal migration patterns and with it to be able to help animals. For example, if one wished to release wildebeest back into the wild, human would have the ability to guide them in the right migratory patters in search of food.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting!
It's pretty cool how nature can seem so "unpredictable" but at the same time there is this grand order and process to it all. I guess you don't really see it until you zoom out a little to get some perspective. I liked how you mentioned that the data had been there all along, but there wasn't really a way to comprehend it in this way. The right tools can do so much good, and this bit of knowledge saved so much trouble!
ReplyDeleteThis is an article that makes me wonder when we started relying on computers to do everything. I like the idea that GIS is being used for tracking migration pattern of animals but this is something people a thousand years ago did without computer mapping. Animal migration patterns have long been tracked by people who relied on them for food but the information seems to have been lost with the invention of Agriculture.
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